The Saga of the Eldians
by GodKingReiss
Summary: The Saga of the Eldians, a collection of the oldest Eldian historical and religious texts, tells the story of Eldia's birth in the days of Ymir Fritz, the first of the Founding Titans, and the many trials and tribulations the Subjects of Ymir faced in the years afterwards up to the arrival of the new era.
1. Chapter 1 - Ymir

(Originally published: January 25, 2019)

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**The Anguish of Gherma**

_**1**_ Now in the days before the count of years, the people of Gherma wandered the green hills which lay in the midst of the land, and this was the land which lay around Mount Ginnun, whose summit overlooked all of Gherma and beyond to the distant seas.

2 Now no cities were kept among the people of Gherma, for in those days the wicked people of Marley were many, ever at war with the people of Gherma and of other lands.

3 And the people of Gherma could not contend with Marley, whose weapons were of bronze and iron and whose chariots saw far from atop the hills, and spears of stone and rods of wood were of no avail to the people of Gherma.

**The Tribes of Gherma**

4 Now the people of Gherma were of nine tribes: the tribe of Asgard, the tribe of Vanir, the tribe of Svarta, the tribe of Midgard, the tribe of Muspel, the tribe of Utgard, the tribe of Alfa, the tribe of Hela, and the tribe of Nifel.

5 And it is said that these nine tribes would be ever wandering about the lands of Gherma, and no borders were drawn between their places of dwelling, for the lands of each tribe would change often even in one man's count of years.

**The Birth of Ymir**

_**2**_ Now unto the tribe of Asgard was born a child to the family of Fritz, and they named her Ymir, which means scream, for she was born in a time of great strife against wicked Marley, and all the tribes of Gherma cried out in anguish against their enemy in those days.

2 For the people of Marley were ever lustful for the lands of Gherma and the iron which lay in the hills untouched by the wandering people of Gherma. And it is said that in their wars with Gherma they had ended three entire tribes of which there were twelve, and these tribes scattered in their ruin unto the nine tribes left in Gherma.

**God Calls to Ymir**

3 And when thirteen years had come to pass, Ymir heard the voice of the LORD calling unto her, saying, Go thou to the summit of Mount Ginnun, where I shall bestow upon thee my favor, for I have heard the suffering in Gherma and my heart is moved to pity.

**Ymir Ascends Mount Ginnun**

4 Then Ymir ascended Ginnun as the LORD hath bidden, and lo! upon the highest peak the Angel of the LORD came before her, and she fell upon her face.

**Gherma's Tribute to God**

5 And the LORD said, Be not afraid! For behold, I have heard the cries of thy people and have been moved to pity.

6 Once now thou hath ascended Ginnun as the LORD hath bidden. For this, the tribe of Asgard shall be saved from the fire of Marley, for thy tribe has been most true in serving the LORD dutifully.

7 And Ymir said unto the LORD, How can this be so? For the people of Marley come against us with swords of iron and spears of bronze, and their chariots outrun us even in the hills of Gherma, and the eyes of their riders see far from on high.

8 And the LORD said unto Ymir, My gift unto thee shall be greater than any weapon of bronze or iron or any metal not yet put to the hammer by thy people.

9 But the hearts of the eight tribes are doubtful, and some would sooner submit to Marley than trust in the LORD.

10 Therefore go thou unto each tribe scattered about the hills of Gherma, and say unto them, The LORD hath come to deliver ye from Marley.

11 And for a small token of your faith your lives shall be assured, and ye shall come to the foot of Mount Ginnun where ye shall see the glory of the LORD sweep away your enemies like the dust off your cloaks.

12 And Ymir said unto the LORD, What token of our faith wouldst thou desire? For thou knowest verily we are a wandering people, and few among us hath the skill to create such things which may please the LORD.

13 And the LORD said unto Ymir, Who among ye can know the thoughts of the LORD? What worth hath the silken robe or the jeweled crown over the shepherd's staff or the potter's bowl in the eyes of the LORD?

14 I have seen the plight of thy people, and ye live day after day by the meats of your sheep which are now few and sickly, and by the apples which grow in plenty upon the hills of Gherma.

15 Therefore as a token of your faith, have each tribe bring unto me the finest apple in your keeping, and I shall know that ye entrust your lives unto My grace.

**Gherma Brings Tribute to Ginnun**

_**3**_ And Ymir left Mount Ginnun, going unto her people in the tribe of Asgard to send them hence. And she wandered the hills of Gherma visiting each tribe in turn, saying unto them what the LORD had decreed.

2 And each tribe in turn heard the voice of Ymir and were moved to sorrow for their doubtful hearts, and as tribute each gave to Ymir the finest apple in their housing plucked from the trees which grew in Gherma, and they followed her to Mount Ginnun where Ymir would present their offerings before the LORD.

**Marley Surrounds the Tribes of Gherma**

3 Now nine times Ymir ascended Mount Ginnun, bringing tribute from the eight tribes to the Angel of the LORD.

4 And in her final ascent a fire was kindled in the hearts of wicked Marley, seeing that the tribes of Gherma were now gathered about the feet of Mount Ginnun.

5 And they said among themselves, We shall descend upon them like fire unto chaff, and the tribes of Gherma shall hinder us no more.

6 And some saw the bright swords and chariots of Marley upon the hilltops, and they wept, believing the LORD had forsaken them.

7 And some among them left their camps saying, The people of Marley wish to take the iron of our hills and the meat of our livestock.

8 Let us go out unto them and plea for pardon, even if we must take up sword against our brothers.

9 And the unfaithful approached the warriors of Marley, and no faithful of Gherma nor warrior of Marley would hinder them.

**God Accepts Gherma's Tribute**

10 And when all was done and all the tributes were brought atop Mount Ginnun, the LORD was pleased.

11 And He said, Verily ye are faithful and true subjects, and for this ye shall be saved from the fires of Marley.

12 And unto thee, daughter of Fritz, I shall give my greatest blessing, and thy footsteps will be as the rumbling of the earth, and thy flesh as hard as stone, and thy speed swifter than the steeds of Gherma, shouldst thou so desire.

13 And Ymir said unto the LORD, How can this be? How shall the people of Gherma withstand the swords of iron and spears of bronze of the warriors of Marley?

**God's Covenant with Ymir**

14 And the LORD said unto Ymir, Verily, this power which I shall grant unto thee shall remain within thy flesh and within thy blood, and with it thou shalt bring ruin upon thy enemies without blade or garment.

15 But this power is too great for thy flesh to withstand for ever, which I hath intended for three score of years until to the dust from whence thou art made thou shalt return.

16 Therefore being of thirteen years since thy birth, thy life shall remain for thirteen more until thou must bestow My gift unto thy Subjects. But for a time thou shalt be My presence upon this earth, and the peoples of Gherma shall be thy Subjects for ever, and all shall know thee and thy kin as the voice of the LORD.

**Ymir Inherits God's Power**

17 And the Angel of the LORD raised his hand and pointed to a sharp stone which lay upon the summit of Ginnun.

18 And the LORD said, Take now this stone and strike thy hand upon it, for behold! the people of wicked Marley come now against Gherma, and they wish to set fire to thy brothers' camps and put thy brothers to the sword.

19 Therefore strike thy hand that thy blood shall fall upon Ginnun, and My gift shall save thy people in this hour.

**Lady Ymir Defends Gherma**

20 And Ymir did as the LORD commanded, striking her hand with the sharp stone, and her blood fell upon Ginnun.

21 And a bright light and noise like thunder fell upon Ginnun, and the tribes of Gherma thought then that the rains had come. And lo! upon the summit of Ginnun all the tribes of Gherma and the warriors of Marley saw the Lady Ymir, now tall as the mountain and clothed in fire and light, and all the people of Gherma fell upon their faces, seeing now the LORD made flesh.

**The Unfaithful Become Titans**

22 And the LORD spoke unto Ymir, saying, see now the people of Gherma that would flee from My grace and take up the sword against their brothers. They are unfaithful to Me, and My wrath is kindled against them.

23 Therefore, let thy voice cry out across the hills of Gherma, and the unfaithful shall be made to serve thee and My will.

24 And Ymir did as the LORD commanded, and her voice upon the summit of Ginnun was louder than any winds or thunder, and uncovered ears bled upon the earth.

25 And hearing the voice of the LORD, the unfaithful trembled and were bathed in fire and light, and lo! the unfaithful of Gherma became as monsters naked and dull, three times the height of their faithful brothers, and their stomachs ached with hunger which would not be sated, and they were in days after named the Titans.

**Marley Flees**

26 Now seeing the warriors of Marley near at hand, the Titans of Gherma ran into their midst as children among the grass with grasping hands and grinding teeth, and all in Marley escaped who could, fleeing into the far lands of their homes, never to trouble the tribes of Gherma again.

27 And seeing the Titans pursuing their enemies into the hills and the Lady Ymir tall upon Mount Ginnun clothed in the glory of the LORD, the people of Gherma rejoiced in their triumph.

**Lady Ymir Builds Siegfried**

_**4**_ Now when the people of Marley had fled into their own lands, Lady Ymir walked among her Subjects.

2 And she said unto them, Let us make permanent housing for our kin, and we shall be a wandering people no longer, for with the LORD's blessing I shall protect ye from all harm, and ye shall not have need to flee again so long as His gift remains with ye by my deeds.

3 And the people of Gherma said unto Lady Ymir, O Lady, how shall we make such housing for ourselves in our lifetime? For we have been a wandering people for an age and have no knowledge in the craft of masonry.

4 And the Lady Ymir said unto them, Behold! This power which the LORD hath given unto me brings many gifts.

5 For with this power not only may I bring us victory and cast ruin upon our enemies, but so too shall I bring peace and protection to my Subjects whom I love and whom the LORD is well pleased.

6 And once again the Lady Ymir drew her blood, and as a Titan among men her flesh like stone spread as like a creeping ice from her body, and the Lady Ymir built for her people houses of flesh like stone which no force of man nor nature could lay low.

7 And with her flesh like stone she raised high bridges across the deepest valleys and canyons in Gherma, and sundered lands were made whole again, and with her mighty feet she made flat the lands upon which the people of Gherma would lay their roads.

8 And all about the feet of Mount Ginnun the people of Gherma dwelt in a mighty city, and it was named Siegfried, meaning Victory and Protection, for it was built by Our Lady upon the very land where she drove off the wicked people of Marley and brought peace in Gherma.

**Lady Ymir Builds God's Temple**

9 And when all was finished the Lady Ymir turned her flesh to stone about the center of her city, and in the midst of Siegfried was built a high temple which rested upon nine mighty pillars.

10 And the Lady Ymir said unto the people of Gherma, This place I have built for ye, that ye may worship the LORD and give thanks for the blessings which he hath given ye in your hour of need.

11 Verily, those most faithful among ye shall in time receive this gift which I hath been given, and ye most faithful shall walk the earth as the form of the LORD made flesh even as I.

12 And the people marveled at her words, though none knew yet that she would not remain with them when the hour came.

**Gherma Learns New Craft**

13 And when the people of Gherma were certain that they were well kept in peace and protection, they began to craft tools with which they would carve into the hills and take for themselves plentiful clay for further housing and stone to pave their roads.

14 And they took also for themselves the iron of the hills in Gherma, and with the help of the Lady Ymir they learned how the heat of fire or the Lady's blessed flesh would render the iron pure and malleable, and they made for themselves weapons akin to the swords of Marley to defend against them should the need arise.

15 And the Lady Ymir said unto the people of Gherma, Verily ye have become a mighty people, and I am certain ye would prosper even without the LORD's gifts which dwell within my flesh, but verily this power shall remain with ye always until the end of days.

**Lady Ymir Weds Wilhelm**

16 Now when five years had passed of the Lady Ymir's reign, in the eighteenth year of her life she took unto herself a husband, and his name was Wilhelm.

17 And in their union unto Lady Ymir in her reign were born three daughters.

**Lady Ymir's Daughters**

18 The first was named Sheena, whose name means the LORD is gracious, for He it was that bestowed Our Lady with His mighty power to withstand all the evils of the earth.

19 And the second daughter was named Rose, named for the flowers which grew in abundance upon the hills of Gherma in the days of the Lady Ymir's reign.

20 And the third and last daughter was named Maria, whose name means Bitterness, for she was born in the thirteenth year of the Lady Ymir's reign, and Our Lady knew that verily she would not live to see her third and last daughter live into womanhood.

**God Chooses Ymir's Successors**

21 Now after thirteen years of her reign had ended, the LORD came unto the Lady Ymir, and He said, Verily as I said unto thee upon the summit of Ginnun, thy years have come to their end, and My power which is within thee must pass unto another. But such power as thou hath known shall not be known again upon this earth until the end of days.

22 Therefore My power which is within thee shall go unto all nine tribes of Gherma, and each shall inherit a part of the power which thou hath known in these last thirteen years of the world.

23 And the Lady Ymir said unto the LORD, How shall my people know how to use this power which Thou hath given me?

24 And the LORD said unto Ymir, To those who shall inherit My power that is within thee shall go also the memories which thou hold in thy mind. And in this way thy Subjects shall know full well how to use My power within them, and their memories will as thine pass unto those who shall succeed them.

25 And the LORD said, Go now unto My temple which stands in the center of Siegfried, and say unto the people of Gherma, the LORD hath seen your deeds and is well pleased. Therefore My power which is within Thy Lady shall be passed unto the nine most faithful of My servants.

**God Names Lady Ymir's Successors**

_**5**_ Now these are the people of Gherma with whom I am most pleased, and they shall ascend Mount Ginnun as Your Lady hath done in the first hour of her reign:

2 Frey of the tribe of Vanir, Durin of the tribe of Svarta, Erik of the tribe of Midgard, Tyr of the tribe of Muspel, Surt of the tribe of Utgard, Balder of the tribe of Alfa, Skoll of the tribe of Hela, Hati of the tribe of Nifel, and Wilhelm of the tribe of Asgard of the family of Fritz whose blood I hath blessed with authority over all of Gherma.

3 And the Lady Ymir went unto the people of Gherma and spoke unto them the words of the LORD, and these nine went up unto the summit of Ginnun as the LORD had commanded.

4 And the LORD said unto the Lady Ymir, At the next day's first light My power which is within thee shall be divided between the nine tribes.

5 And to these most faithful servants say this: Verily as the LORD's power within me shall be divided among ye, so too must my body be divided. Therefore divide my body at the wrists, and at the ankles, and at the shoulders, and at the hips, so that my body shall in nine pieces be divided.

6 And take with ye each one piece of my body, and let the greatest portion go with my husband Wilhelm who shall inherit the reign of Gherma and the greatest of the LORD's power.

7 And with my body go into the wilderness where there is no neighbor or foe, and drink of my blood, and ye shall become as Titans naked and dull, yet ye shall without thought devour my body as the LORD doth intend, and ye shall awaken with His power within ye verily as it is within myself.

8 Go thence from the wilderness unto your homes, and with the LORD's power ye must carry out His will and defend Gherma for thirteen years.

9 And when your years are ended, go unto the temple of the LORD in the midst of Siegfried and bestow your blood first and then your bodies unto nine most faithful among your nine tribes, that Gherma may be kept against all harm by Nine Titans and prosper until the end of days.

**Lady Ymir Departs From Her Daughters**

10 Now before the Lady Ymir went up unto Ginnun she went unto her daughters in her house.

11 And she said unto them, My time with ye has come unto its end, yet in the mind of your father my memories shall endure as the LORD hath spoken.

12 And verily my memories and his shall endure within Sheena, who shall inherit the greatest portion of my power after another thirteen years when Wilhelm my husband hath left the earth.

13 And unto all of ye I say, be fruitful and multiply, lest the Fritz bloodline fail and the LORD's will falter in our absence. For verily the succession of our family shall not pass from firstborn unto firstborn as in days of old, but from inheritor unto inheritor, whose reign shall be thirteen years.

**The Husbands of Lady Ymir's Daughters**

14 And in the days after Lady Ymir's reign her daughters wed from among the eight tribes.

15 Unto Sheena came Vili, and unto Rose came Ve, and unto Maria came Odin, and through their three unions the family of Fritz shall endure until the end of days.

**The Death of Lady Ymir**

16 And in the night Lady Ymir went up unto the summit of Mount Ginnun and told the nine faithful what the LORD had commanded, and they divided her body into nine parts and went out into the wilderness.

17 And within the nine faithful was reborn the power of the LORD which had been known to Lady Ymir.

**The Titans of Gherma**

18 To Frey of the tribe of Vanir went the left arm of Lady Ymir, and they were blessed with the power of the Beast Titan, keen of sight and strong of arm, and its stature was seventeen meters.

19 To Durin of the tribe of Svarta went the right arm of Lady Ymir, and they were blessed with the power of the War Hammer Titan, cunning in craft and whose bones held the bridges high and whose flesh knit the housing of Our Lady's subjects, and its stature was fifteen meters.

20 To Erik of the tribe of Midgard went the left hand of Lady Ymir, and they were blessed with the power of the Female Titan, beautiful and cruel whose rallying cry was without flaw, and its stature was fourteen meters.

21 To Tyr of the tribe of Muspel went the right hand of Lady Ymir, and they were blessed with the power of the Attack Titan, Our Lady's righteous anger and faultless advance made flesh, and its stature was fifteen meters.

22 To Surt of the tribe of Utgard went the left leg of Lady Ymir, and they were blessed with the power of the Colossus Titan, whose mighty flesh is burning cloud and whose thundering march is the rumbling earth, and its stature was sixty meters.

23 To Balder of the tribe of Alfa went the right leg of Lady Ymir, and they were blessed with the power of the Armored Titan, whose flesh was hard stone and unmovable as the mountains from which they tumble, and its stature was fifteen meters.

24 To Skoll of the tribe of Hela went the left foot of Lady Ymir, and they were blessed with the power of the Cart Titan, swifter than any steed and tireless on the march, and its stature was four meters.

25 To Hati of the tribe of Nifel went the right foot of Lady Ymir, and they were blessed with the power of the Jaw Titan, whose charge was like a tempest and whose teeth of stone could grind the hills to dust, and its stature was five meters.

26 And with the tribe of Asgard remained the body of Lady Ymir, and her flesh was bestowed upon her husband Wilhelm, who took her body into the wilderness as the LORD had bidden.

27 And even as a Titan he feasted mournfully upon the flesh of Lady Ymir, for the memory of Our Lady and her grace may endure even in the thoughtless minds of the Titans.

28 And lo! the memory and counsel of Ymir was born anew in his mind, and Our Lady remained with her subjects in a new flesh as was spoken, and its stature was thirteen meters.

29 And this greatest power of the LORD was kept within the family of Fritz: to command the wills of the people of Gherma, and to change their forms at need into the Titans which ravage without hindrance among the enemies of Gherma, and to command these Titans in times of war as a king commands his army.

30 Thus was the tribe of Fritz blessed with Our Lady's Founding Titan, whose voice is the will of the LORD who would remain with Her people until the end of days.

**God Speaks to the Nine Titans**

31 Now when all nine faithful had inherited the power of the LORD, the LORD spoke unto each in one voice.

32 And He said, Return now to the summit of Ginnun, and just as Thy Lady had done let your blood spill upon its summit, and look out unto the city of Siegfried which she hath built in her time, and let the people of Gherma see My power even now yet walks this earth in the flesh.

33 And the nine faithful did as the LORD commanded, and their blood spilled upon Mount Ginnun as the sun set upon Siegfried, and the people of Gherma beheld the power of the LORD in the Nine Titans which stood now over all the land.

**The Nine Titans Found Eldia**

34 Now the LORD spoke again unto the nine faithful one last time, and He said, Verily ye are my beloved people against whom none can withstand upon this earth.

35 Ye have served me well and faithfully, and for this I give unto ye all the earth under the sun, and ye shall call it Eldia, which means All Earth.

36 And in days after the nine faithful carried out the will of the LORD, bringing vengeance unto Marley and bringing all the lands between the seas into Eldia's rule, and power of the LORD within them was in days after passed unto the faithful of Eldia as the LORD had commanded.

37 Thus have Nine Titans remained with Eldia and her people as the presence of the LORD upon the earth, and thus shall they rule all lands under the sun until the end of days.


	2. Chapter 2 - Gesetze

(Originally published: March 17, 2019)

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**The King Comes to the Temple**

_**1**_ And it came to pass in the days of King Wilhelm that the King ventured into the Temple of the LORD in the midst of Siegfried, and with him were his daughters Sheena, Rose, and Maria also, and the Nine Titans who would rule over the nine tribes of Eldia.

2 And the people of Eldia gathered near the Temple of Siegfried and within it.

**The King Addresses Eldia**

3 And the King said unto them, Ye have become a mighty people, and I love ye as Our Lady loved ye in life, and our love is with ye always.

4 And now that the time of Our Lady has passed, ye must govern yourselves as a nation, for ye are no longer a wandering folk.

5 Hear ye now the decrees which the LORD hath bestowed upon me. Ye have served the LORD well and faithfully, and for this your inheritance shall be the ends of the earth, and it shall be called Eldia.

**The Building of the Temples**

6 Now as ye venture upon the face of the earth and build for yourselves new cities, ye shall in the center of the city build a temple, and it shall be of like fashion to the Temple of Siegfried.

7 Now the temple of the LORD shall be built in a ring, and it shall be fifty meters across at its base, and its roof shall be fifty meters above the floor, and the roof of the temple shall be domed.

8 And the temple shall be upheld by eight pillars at its edge and one pillar in its midst, and the eight pillars shall be five meters in diameter, and the center pillar shall be ten meters in diameter.

9 Now the building of the temples shall be the duty of the Founding Titan and the War Hammer Titan, for our flesh may harden like stone or glass and take shape to our will.

10 And the dimensions of the temples shall be put into writing that we shall commit its designs to our hearts, and there shall be no flaw in the temples of the LORD.

**Settling New Lands**

11 And the King said unto them, When ye set forth into the world to settle new lands, ye must go as one tribe unmingling with any other, and with ye must go the inheritor of the Titan of your tribe, and with ye also must go the most faithful who shall receive the LORD's power which is within the inheritor.

12 And if ye go into new lands with another tribe or as many tribes, each tribe shall bring with them their inheritor and their most faithful.

13 Now when ye seek out land upon which ye shall build your cites, ye shall settle near to clear waters from which ye may drink and nourish your crops and your livestock. And if ye settle your cities in a land without water, ye must settle within one day's ride as the horse runs from the nearest city of your kin.

14 And ye shall be most blessed who set your cities upon the high hills where your eyes see far, and thus shall the LORD's will be swift in Eldia.

**Settlers' Livestock**

15 Now of the livestock which ye keep in your pastures there shall be sheep, that ye might make for yourselves linens and cloaks, and there shall be oxen for your milk and meats, and there shall be horses upon which ye shall ride far, and they shall bear your burdens upon the long roads, and ye may keep other livestock as well.

16 And ye must care for your livestock as ye would care for your own sons and daughters, for the beasts of the field and the plain shall keep ye strong and plentiful.

**Treatment of Livestock**

17 Let not any man strike his beast of burden or his livestock and shed its blood, unless to put it to rest after its service in life has been fulfilled and it may no longer bear ye wool or milk.

18 For he that puts to the sword a beast not yet at the end of its count of days has cast aside the bounties which the LORD hath given ye, and he shall be made to work the burdens which the beast cannot in death.

19 For the death of the sheep, his burden shall be three years.

For the death of the cattle, his burden shall be five years.

For the death of the horse, his burden shall be ten years.

20 If he comes to the end of his years of burden and again puts to death a beast not yet at the end of its count of days, he shall return to his burden, and his years of burden shall be twice what they would be for his first offense.

21 If one among ye puts to death many beasts before their count of days are ended and cannot fulfill his years of burden in the span of his life, he and his kin shall be marked by the Founding Titan, and they shall live in bondage to await their torment to live as Pure Titans in service to the Founder, and thus shall the family of the wasteful be redeemed in the eyes of the LORD.

**Fruits of the Land**

22 Now when ye set out into new lands, ye must take with ye food enough for two meals for each man, woman, and child among ye, and with food to spare for one meal each. And upon your journey ye shall eat once at daybreak and once when the shadows after noon reach far, and your beasts shall eat of the grass of the fields.

23 And ye may eat of whatever food ye find upon your journeys in the wild. And of the fruits which ye find fit to eat, ye must uproot these to take with ye upon the journey, that ye may plant them in the place of your final dwelling and keep with ye the bounties of the land.

24 And of the trees which grow in Eldia ye may take their fruits for your meals and their wood for your housing, but ye must not cut down the tree before its fruit has been gathered in full.

25 And for each tree which ye cut in Eldia, ye must plant three in your orchards, and thus the fruits of the land shall not diminish.

**Punishment for Wasting Fruit**

26 Let not any man among ye trample the fruit of the land, for even the bare twig may in a far season bear new fruit.

27 And if any man among ye tramples a bush or cuts down a tree and does not take its fruit, he shall toil in the fields until the land bears new fruits which ye may take, and his toil shall be five years.

28 But verily, ye shall not uproot the apple trees of Eldia, nor shall ye strip them bare of their fruit, but ye shall take only what wood and apples fall upon the earth, and ye shall not plant the seeds of the fruits which ye eat, but ye shall keep them as offering unto the LORD.

29 For it was by the apple tree that the tribes of Eldia gave tribute to the LORD, and it was by the LORD's grace that ye were delivered from the swords of Marley.

30 Therefore let the apple tree grow where it may, and let the apple tree die where it may. For when the apple trees are bountiful and abundant in Eldia, ye shall know that the LORD looks upon ye with favor.

31 But if the apple tree cannot be found in the lands of Eldia, then the LORD is displeased with His Subjects, and ye will have fallen out of His favor.

**The Star of Eldia**

_**2**_ Now of ye who settle new lands in the name of Eldia, ye shall set upon your works of iron and your coins and your writings the mark of Eldia, and it shall be a star of nine points, and nine shall there be for each Titan which walks among ye, and nine shall there be for each tribe.

2 And this star shall have eight points upon either side, and the ninth point shall point upwards towards heaven where Our Lady looks upon her Subjects seated at the right hand of the LORD.

**Titan Inheritance in the Temple**

3 And the King said unto them, Ye are the people of the LORD, and ye must make offerings unto the LORD as tribute of your faith, even as ye had done when the Lady Ymir delivered ye from the swords and spears of Marley.

4 Now the greatest of your offerings unto the LORD shall be of your own flesh, for once every thirteen years ye must offer unto the LORD the one among ye who holds the Power of the Titans.

5 When the inheritor's count of years has come to its end, he shall be brought into the Temple of the LORD and chained to the centermost pillar. And from among ye of each tribe ye must choose the one most dutiful in his faith to the LORD to inherit the LORD's power into his flesh.

6 Now ye shall put the inheritor to the sword, that his blood may be shed into the bowl prepared for the offering, and the faithful shall drink of the bowl, and the temple shall be made empty.

7 And the faithful shall become as a Pure Titan, and driven by hunger he shall eat of the chained inheritor, and the LORD shall guide his power into the faithful.

8 And he shall be reborn of a new flesh, and he shall be the new inheritor of the LORD's power, and his life shall be numbered to thirteen years henceforth.

**Titan Inheritance Outside the Temple**

9 Now if ye are sojourning the wilderness in search of new land and have not a temple for your offerings, the LORD hath prepared a means for your offerings.

10 Ye shall await the time when the inheritor among ye grows sickly and frail, for with the passing of his final year his life shall leave him as the LORD wills, and he shall lay down to rest.

11 And ere the life leaves the inheritor, ye shall choose the most faithful among thy tribe, and if your most faithful is not among ye or has been slain, ye shall choose whichever is most faithful among your gathering.

12 And he shall go with the inheritor into the wilderness, and he shall lay the inheritor down to rest, and ere the life leaves the inheritor he shall devour his living flesh, and ere the whole of the body has been eaten the faithful shall become as a Pure Titan.

13 And with the flesh of the inheritor within him he shall be reborn of a new flesh, and he shall be the new inheritor of the LORD's power, and his life shall be numbered to thirteen years henceforth.

14 But if the most faithful among ye lives and his inheritance is not bestowed upon him as a new inheritor is reborn in the wilderness, then the inheritor must lay down his life within the temple or within the wilderness unto the most faithful, and in his way he shall fulfill his duty to the LORD.

**Punishment for the Betrayer**

15 But if the inheritor refuses to surrender the LORD's power unto the most faithful, then it is the duty of the Nine Titans to take the LORD's power from the betrayer by force and surrender it unto the most faithful, and the spouse and children and children's children of the betrayer shall be marked by the Founding Titan, and they shall live in bondage to await their torment to live as Pure Titans in service to the Founder, and thus shall the family of the betrayer be redeemed in the eyes of the LORD.

**Offerings to God**

_**3**_ And the King said unto them, Now when ye go unto the Temple of the LORD to do worship unto Him, ye shall take with ye the gathered seeds of the apple trees of Eldia.

2 And ye shall set in a bowl nine apple seeds, and ye shall mix with the seeds incense which the priests of the LORD shall have ready.

And ye shall set flame to the seeds and the incense, and a scent pleasing to the LORD shall go up into the heights of the Temple, and thus shall your faith be known to the LORD and to Our Lady who is seated at His right hand.

3 If ye have not the seeds of the apples of Eldia, ye may fast for a time of three days and go unto the Temple of the LORD, and ye shall burn the bowl of incense, and then ye may eat again of the fruits of Eldia, and ye shall know that the LORD has seen your faith and is well pleased.

**Day of Deliverance**

4 And the King said unto them, Ye have been freed by Our Lady from the bonds of Marley. Yea, upon this very ground were our enemies sent back into their lands, never to trouble the people of Eldia again.

5 And it is the will of the LORD that this Day of Deliverance shall be remembered until the end of days.

6 Therefore upon the last month of the summertime ye shall make pilgrimage to Mount Ginnun where Our Lady delivered ye from the bonds of Marley, and ye shall bring with ye the fattest calf of your pastures, and ye shall bring the whitest milk of your cattle, and ye shall bring the best of the fruits of your orchards.

7 And in the city of Siegfried in the month of Deliverance ye shall slay your fattened calves, and ye shall feast on their meats, and ye shall drink well of their milk, and ye shall drink also the wines of the fruits of your orchards, and these fruits ye shall also eat in the feasting, and much else ye may bring which pleases the LORD.

8 Now the first day of autumn shall be the Day of Deliverance, for it was this day when Our Lady delivered ye from the bonds of Marley.

9 And on this day ye shall gather in the streets and the courtyards around the Temple of the LORD, and those among ye who bear Our Lady's gift shall walk in the flesh of Titans, and thus shall the glory of the LORD walk among ye on your Day of Deliverance as it had walked by Our Lady.

10 And when all is finished, ye shall return unto your homes and continue your good works, and in this the LORD shall be well pleased.

**Duties of the Nine Titans**

_**4**_ And the King said unto them, Ye are governed by those nine most faithful whom Ymir Our Lady chose by the will of the LORD, and each bears an aspect of Our Lady which shall endure in flesh upon the earth until the end of days.

2 The Beast Titan of Our Lady is as the ape of the forest, for his arms are long, and his reach is far, and his mind is cunning.

3 Therefore the Beast Titan shall lay siege to your enemies, and with stone and mortar Our Lady's Beast shall lay low your enemies' walls.

4 The War Hammer Titan of Our Lady bears her gift of cunning flesh and stone, and through Our Lady's flesh like stone was made the mighty temple in which ye stand this day.

5 Therefore with flesh like stone the War Hammer shall erect such temples in the fashion of Our Lady's will.

6 And the War Hammer shall with flesh like stone make mighty weapons of war which Our Lady's nine faithful shall wield in battle, for the flesh like stone shall long endure after the body returns to the winds, and he shall make other devices according to your needs.

7 The Female Titan of Our Lady is Our Lady's beauty and her cunning, and she is swift and nimble as the fox.

8 And within her is Our Lady's voice of command, and all Pure Titans who hear her cry shall flock to her, and so shall be led into whatever lands the Female desires.

9 Therefore the Female shall be as the wind to your enemies which comes before the wrathful storm.

10 The Attack Titan of Our Lady is ever marching in advance, and in him is Our Lady's will to seek the freedom of her people.

11 Therefore in war Our Lady's Attacker shall command the legions of Eldia in your Founder's absence, for the faultless advance of Our Lady shall never lead ye astray.

12 The Colossus Titan of Our Lady is as Mount Ginnun walking upon the earth, and his head is mantled with cloud, and his flesh burns with the heat of the sun. Slow are his steps, yet far is his stride and his footsteps are as thunder.

13 Therefore the Colossus Titan shall be a destroyer of the enemy, and no land but Our Lady's upon which the Colossus walks shall endure.

14 The Armored Titan of Our Lady is mighty in flesh, and no force upon this earth can break his hide, and his armor is close-knit like the scales of the serpent.

15 Therefore the Armored Titan shall be as a shield for Our Lady's Subjects, and when the enemy brings weapons of siege against ye, no stone thrown shall topple Our Lady's Armor.

16 The Cart Titan of Our Lady is swift of foot and enduring in will, and his flesh may remain upon the earth for many days and many nights and yet retain his cunning and his form.

17 Therefore the Cartman shall roam all the lands of Eldia in their need, and he shall be as an everlasting vigil against the unfaithful and the traitorous. And in times of war he shall be as a watchful eye in enemy lands, and on swift feet shall he bring news to Eldia.

18 The Jaw Titan of Our Lady is swiftest of all Our Lady's Titans with teeth that may grind the mountains into dust.

19 Therefore upon swift feet the Jaws shall bring news swiftly to Eldia in times of war, and he shall be first to charge into the enemy's land and shatter their walls and their homes.

20 The Founding Titan of Our Lady is the most faultless of will and is the presence of the LORD made flesh upon the earth.

21 Therefore the Founder shall be your ruler everlasting, for the thought of Lady Ymir remains within each of her successors.

22 And it is by the will of the Founder that ye may be made to walk as Pure Titans and thus serve the will of the LORD upon the land, and your footsteps shall shake the earth, and your enemies shall quake with fear of your insatiable hunger.

23 And while the Founder rules in Eldia, ye shall not know fear nor oppression nor ruin, and ye shall walk always in the presence of the LORD.

**Duties in War**

_**5**_ And the King said unto them, Ye are a mighty people, blessed by the LORD and Our Lady seated at His right hand.

2 And many throughout the earth will hate ye and wish to take your lands for their own, and to make ye their slaves, and to burn away the blessings which the LORD hath given ye.

3 Therefore ye must be strong and unyielding before your adversaries. If any nation comes against ye with the sword, ye shall show them the power of the LORD and of Our Lady's blessings, and ye shall take their lands as payment for their transgressions.

4 When ye go forth to war against your enemy, let the nine most faithful lead your forces into the enemy's home, and let the Pure Titans go forth first with them.

5 In this way ye shall be left to defend your homeland against the enemy which slips through unseen, and so shall the Pure Titans in their service in war be redeemed of their sins, and in them the LORD shall be well pleased.

6 And when new lands have been taken for Eldia, slay not those who dwell within what towns remain, for in time they shall mingle with ye Subjects of Ymir, and so shall their children and their children's children join with ye in Our Lady's kin.

7 But for those who bear sword or spear against ye, those of their armies or those who refuse to offer themselves up unto Our Lady in service, they and their families shall be fed to the Pure Titans.

8 And when ye go into a new land taken from the enemy, do not salt the earth and do not burn the forests and do not poison the wells.

9 For ye must make this land your own, and ye would be salting your own earth and burning your own forests and poisoning your own wells, and your inheritance would be left to waste.

10 And in these new lands ye shall build new temples to Our Lady as ye would in towns settled anew, and in this way the grace of Our Lady shall be known far and wide to the four corners of the earth.

**Punishments Against Violence**

_**6**_ And the King said unto them, Let no man among ye strike his fellow subject without reason.

2 If a man among ye strikes another and his blood falls upon the earth, he shall be bound in chains for a time equal in measure to the harm he has caused.

3 If a man brings harm unto one of age far greater or far less than his own age, the children and the aged, or if a man brings harm unto one who cannot defend himself, the crippled and the sick, he shall be bound in chains for a time twice the measure to the harm he has caused.

4 Also his stores of food and his wealth shall be given unto the family of the aggrieved in measure which shall amend the harms brought unto the family.

**Punishment for Murder**

5 If any man among ye murders a fellow Subject of Ymir, whether or not by intent, he and all his household shall be marked by the Founding Titan, and they shall live in bondage to await their torment to live as Pure Titans in service to the Founder, and thus shall the family of the murderer be redeemed in the eyes of the LORD.

**Submit to Foreign Law**

6 Verily ye are all subjects of the same Lady seated at the right hand of the LORD, and ye must not create strife between your kin. But if ye bring harm unto those of other nations ye shall not be judged by the Law of Ymir.

7 But ye must submit to the law of whatever land from which the aggrieved hails.

**Punishments Against Theft**

8 And the King said unto them, Do not covet thy neighbor's house or any thing which he possesses, and do not covet the prosperities of his life.

9 For ye are all children of Our Lady, and ye must trust to your own works and know that Our Lady looks upon ye with favor in measure to your faith.

10 If any man among ye takes from his neighbor without his leave, he shall be bound into service for a time equal in measure to the severity of his theft.

11 And the transgressed shall decide for how long the thief shall serve him, and an arbiter appointed by Our Lady's most faithful shall determine if the time of service is within reason.

**Punishments Against Treachery**

12 Let no man bear false witness against his neighbor, for it is by treachery and dishonestly that the LORD's chosen should be brought to ruin.

13 Verily, ye are a mighty people, and only by the hand of Eldia shall Eldia ever fall.

14 If any man among ye bears false witness against his neighbor, he shall be bound into service for a time of fourteen days to the accused.

15 If a man's falsehood brings about the death of another, his service to the accused shall be one year for each life lost to his tongue.

**God's Covenant with the Eldians**

_**7**_ And the King said unto them, This is the Law of Our Lady Ymir which shall endure until the end of days.

2 Let those who follow me add to it in Eldia's need, but let no man remove even a single letter from the Law, for it is by the will of Our Lady that ye hear these words spoken, and her will shall be with ye in your Founders until the end of days.

3 Ye shall abide by the Law for all your days, and in this way the LORD shall be well pleased.

4 And this covenant the LORD makes with ye, So long as ye abide by the Law of Our Lady and honor her name, ye shall enjoy many long years on this earth, and ye shall not know sickness not oppression, and truly the grace of the LORD shall be with ye until the end of days.


	3. Chapter 3 - 1 Könige

(Originally published: April 9, 2019)

* * *

**Sheena Fritz Inherits the Founder**

_**1**_ Now it came to pass when the thirteen years of King Wilhelm Fritz's reign had come to an end, the LORD spoke unto the King.

2 And He said, Thou hath been a good and faithful servant unto Me, and I shall welcome thee into the kingdom of heaven as my own son. Go now unto thy daughters and choose from among them thy successor, and thou shalt live on in her mind even as thy beloved Lady Ymir lives within thee.

3 And the King went unto his daughters and chose from among them his firstborn who was Sheena Fritz, and in the twentieth year of the Lady Sheena's count of days she went forth into the Temple of the LORD in Siegfried where the King was bound.

4 And in accordance with the Law she drank of his blood and became as a Pure Titan, and in the temple the body of the King was consumed.

5 And lo! the Founding Titan of Our Lady was received by the Lady Sheena, and she was named Queen Sheena Fritz before the people of Siegfried. And there was both mourning and rejoicing in all the lands of Eldia in those days.

**Eldia Expands**

6 Now in the days of King Wilhelm the people of Eldia ventured far and wide, and in those days the nine tribes of Gherma became nine houses, for no longer would they be wanderers without permanent abode.

7 And in the second year of Queen Sheena's reign the folk of Austri had reached the sea in the west of that land, and Eldia's domain reached from sea to sea to the east and to the west and to the north, and the land of Eldia became as a crown upon the head of the world.

8 And in those days there was peace in Eldia, for the folk of Marley had fled into their homeland beyond Utgard, and they dwelt ever in fear of the power of the LORD ever watchful upon the land of Eldia in the north.

**Unrest Grows in Eldia**

9 Now there was much anger and vengeance in the hearts of the Subjects of Ymir in those days, and their hearts burned as with fire, for the cruelty of Marley was still fresh in their memory.

10 And they said unto their most faithful, O faithful ones, let us march forth into Marley and bring ruin upon its people.

11 For great were the misdeeds committed against us before the coming of Our Lady, and verily they have not paid in full for their sins.

12 And in all lands of Eldia the Subjects of Ymir cried out as such, and the faithful heard them.

13 And some among them desired to bring ruin upon Marley, for their families were nearest to Marley's borders and were most harshly afflicted by their cruelty. But others among them wished not to make open war upon Marley so soon, for Eldia was but a fledgeling nation and without a great host of warriors or Titans to serve in such a struggle.

**Indecision Among the Faithful**

14 And when the faithful learned of the division between their desires there was unrest among them.

15 And Thrymm of Our Lady's Attacker son of Tyr said, Let us convene in council upon Mount Ginnun, that we may decide upon the fate of Marley, and our queen shall stand among us, and she shall be the arbiter of our choice if it is her will and the LORD's.

16 And when all the faithful heard of Thrymm's choice they were in agreement, and they each went unto the city of Siegfried, and with Queen Sheena they ascended Mount Ginnun.

**The Faithful Convene at Ginnun**

_**2**_ Now for three days and three nights they spoke in council concerning the fate of Marley their oppressors of old, and a choice could not be made in agreement from all of the faithful, and so they looked unto their queen for wisdom in the matter of Marley.

**Queen Sheena Decides**

2 And the Queen said unto them, Verily, the misdeeds of Marley upon my Subjects are great, and they shall not be forgiven for many an age.

3 But ye speak true of Eldia's plight, for we are as infants among the elders that are the kingdoms of the land, and we have not the swords nor the spears nor the chariots to make open war upon and kingdom of the earth.

4 And my Subjects have been most faithful to the Law, and our Titans are few in number, and while even one among them may bring ruin upon a city, they are slow and dull and may be outpaced in open war.

5 But lo! I have walked in long thought with the counsel of my father and my mother, for their thought dwells within me as was spoken by the LORD.

6 And upon the sands of time I have tread unseen paths, and upon these paths new wisdom has been given to me, and I see into the shape and the breath of my Subjects as though they were clay in a potter's hand.

7 Verily I say to ye, the wisdom of my mother has shown me the means by which I may bring a guarantee of peace for my Subjects.

8 For verily as ye are the masters of your flesh when ye walk as Titans upon the earth, thus am I the master of my Subjects in all matters of flesh and breath and blood.

9 Now walk with me, and ye shall see the works of the LORD.

**The Titans are Released**

10 And the faithful descended from Mount Ginnun with their queen, and they went down into Siegfried where there were held the eight and thirty faithless who had been made to walk as Titans, for Our Lady and her successors had in days before commanded them to stand unmoving and not to trouble the folk of the city, and they obeyed dutifully to their Founder.

11 And lo! the queen shed her blood upon the earth, and in the form of Our Lady's Founding Titan she appeared before the people of Eldia, and with a cry she led the Titans forth from their dwelling, and south they marched to the borders of Marley.

12 And a great multitude followed the Founder and the faithful, believing that the time had now come to wage war upon wicked Marley, and they took with them their swords and their spears, and those without weapons brought their tools with which they could shed Marleyan blood.

**Founder Sheena Speaks to Eldia**

13 Now when they came upon the River Dottr which flowed from the high places in the midst of the land down into Rasvelt to the west and the city Utgard to the east and on to the sea the Founder halted their march, for this was the southernmost border of their land, and before them the land fell into wide lowlands where was the land of Marley.

14 And when all had stopped the Founder Sheena turned to her people, and she said, Verily I say unto ye, ye are good and faithful Subjects, and I love ye as I love my own sons and daughters.

15 Now to this day the faithless among ye have been made to walk as Titans upon the earth in torment, and so repent for your sins and earn the forgiveness of the LORD.

16 Now I say unto ye, in the hour of Eldia's need ye shall be needed in strength greater than what ye might offer in lesser flesh. And if ye so desire, I shall make ye walk upon the earth as Titans, but ye shall not be counted among the faithless.

17 Verily, those who offer up their lives to their Founder are counted among the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, even among the nine faithful.

18 And in this hour I ask of ye, if ye wish to serve Eldia most faithfully and surrender your lives to become of Titan flesh, ye shall earn the honor of Eldia for all of her days, and the LORD shall look upon ye and be well pleased.

**The Eldians Offer Their Lives**

19 And in that hour the hearts of the Subjects of Ymir were kindled with a great love for their Founder and their land, and many offered their lives in service unto their queen, and she was well pleased.

20 And their number now numbered 700,000 who would become as Titans by the Founder's command.

21 And the queen said unto them, Go now along the River Dottr each alone, and let there be a stone's throw between ye until all the land between the mountains and the sea is under your watch.

22 And the followers of the Founder did as was commanded of them.

23 And when all was ready, the Founder Sheena cried out a mighty cry, and her voice like thunder was heard through all the land, and the 700,000 were filled with the glory of the LORD.

**Founder Sheena Raises the Wall**

24 And lo! the 700,000 stood now in mighty stature, and each among them stood in stature of fifty meters, and like the Colossus their heads were crowned in cloud, and the eight and thirty faithless were changed anew into such flesh.

25 And with a new cry these Colossus Titans were commanded by their Founder to join arms as in prayer.

26 And lo! the flesh of their bodies turned as to stone, and the gaps between were filled with stone, and thus they created a mighty wall between the lands of Marley and Eldia, and it stretched from the shores of the sea to the east along the River Dottr onward into the midst of the land near the borders of Rasvelt.

27 And the Subjects of Ymir beheld then the wisdom of their Founder, for now no force would come against them from Marley to bring death and cruelty upon them, and for many long years they would live in peace.

**Eldia Rejoices**

_**3**_ And in their joy they went up into the high places in sight of the Wall where the waters flowed down from the lakes to join the River Dottr down into the eastern lands, and in these highlands they built a new city.

2 And it was named Heimr, which means home, for the Subjects of Ymir were now content that no force upon the earth would ever again drive them from their lands.

**Sheena Fritz's Vow of Royal Blood**

3 And in the years of the reign of Queen Sheena Fritz there was a lasting peace in Eldia. And in the thirteenth year of her reign she went out unto the people of Siegfried, but ere she was bound to the pillar she spoke one final decree before her people.

4 And the Queen said unto them, Ye hath seen the power of the LORD in my Founder, and even among the Titans verily it hath no equal.

5 And as was spoken in the Law my Founder and my father's Founder and my mother's Founder shall rule over ye Subjects of Ymir until the end of days.

6 And as I have walked the paths unseen and have peered into the sands of time I have seen the seeds of envy sown in the hearts of men, and they would seek to take this power from the house which the LORD hath chosen.

7 Therefore I have made a vow with the Founding Titan, that none among the Subjects of Ymir may make use of its power should it be taken from the House of Fritz, and without the blood of my kin it shall hold no sway over ye nor the Titans until it is returned to the king's house.

8 I will not say to ye that ye must prevent these things, for upon the sands of time I have seen that these things shall come to pass.

9 But verily I say unto ye, no force which walks upon the earth will bring ruin against Eldia, and though my Founder may be taken in force it shall not be divided forever from the House of Fritz, even unto the end of days.

**Jacob Fritz Inherits the Founder**

10 And when all was spoken she went up unto the Temple of the LORD and was bound, and her firstborn son Jacob drank from her blood and became as a Pure Titan, and the body of the queen was consumed.

11 And thus King Jacob Fritz received Our Lady's Founding Titan in accordance with the Law.

**The Nations Humbled by Eldia**

12 Now in those days the people of Rasvelt and Marley began to fear the tremendous power of Eldia, and the folk of Marley dared not to approach the mighty Wall of flesh-like-stone which Sheena had raised to bar their advance into Eldian lands.

13 Now the Wall of Sheena halted near to the border which divided the lands between Rasvelt and Eldia, and the folk of Rasvelt feared that the King of Eldia would raise new walls between their lands.

14 For the folk of Rasvelt and Gherma of old were close akin, and many of both lands would travel between the two for matters of trade and commerce, or to visit fellows of their tribes who ventured far and settled new houses.

**Emissaries Sent from Rasvelt**

15 Therefore in the first year of King Jacob's reign the King of Rasvelt sent forth emissaries into Eldia bearing tribute.

16 And they said unto King Jacob, O King, we of Rasvelt hath beheld the power of thy god in the great works of stone which thou hath made upon the borders of Marley. And our King in his wisdom bows before thy power, and he brings thee tribute from his kingdom.

17 And the emissaries of Rasvelt presented before King Jacob gifts of silver and of polished brass, and five hundred servants they offered unto the King, and a host of one thousand warriors with swords and helmets of iron and bronze.

18 And the emissaries said unto King Jacob, Verily, O King, more there is which Rasvelt is ready to give unto thee.

19 By decree of our King, thou art given an offer to come with thy house unto the city of Alfonid in our land, and it shall be a city shared between our kingdoms, and unto thee we give all the lands of Rasvelt north of Alfonid and west as far as the city of Meer upon the western seas.

**The King Accepts Rasvelt's Gifts**

20 And King Jacob knew this portion of the lands of Rasvelt to be a quarter of all their domain, and many Subjects of Ymir dwelt therein beyond Eldia's borders, and the King saw wisdom in accepting the offer of the emissaries.

21 And the King said unto them, Verily ye are a generous people, and your gifts are accepted, and ye have the thanks of the people of Eldia.

22 As ye have said I shall go with my house unto the city of Alfonid, and it shall be a border between our lands, and our people united shall live in peace.

23 And so the House of Fritz with their servants and their warriors went forth from Siegfried. And King Jacob went not upon horseback as did his household, but lo! in the flesh of the Founding Titan he marched upon the lands that all might see the glory of the LORD in the passing of the Eldian host, and many fled or cast themselves upon the ground in terror.

**Friendship Between Eldia and Rasvelt**

24 And in the years of King Jacob Fritz there was much friendship between the folk of Eldia and Rasvelt, and ere the end of his days King Jacob went once more into the lands of Rasvelt, and in their capital city of Terzett he met with their king once more.

**The King's Offer to Rasvelt**

25 And King Jacob said unto him, Thirteen years thou and thy people hath proven good and faithful neighbors of Eldia. And many among ye have become as brothers and sisters of my people, for much have the Subjects of Ymir mingled with thy people and born children.

26 Therefore I present this offer unto thee, that thee and thy kingdom be joined forever with Eldia, and I shall send unto thy lands one of the nine houses which hold the glorious Titans of the LORD, and they shall join with thy house and become as one, and thus shall the lordship of Rasvelt become the keepers of one of the Nine Titans of Eldia.

**Rasvelt Joins Eldia**

27 And the King of Rasvelt said, Thou asketh a great thing, for long has Rasvelt stood as a kingdom alone before the coming of thy Lady in her great power.

28 But surely I would be a dullard were I to deny such a gift, for I and my folk hath seen the power of the LORD in thy blood, and no force upon this earth could stand against it.

29 Therefore I accept thy gift, and long may the Power of the Titans bring strength to Eldia in the land of Rasvelt.

**The Beast Titan Governs in Rasvelt**

30 And so ere the passing of King Jacob Fritz the Beast Titan was inherited by the most faithful Scathi of the house of Vanir, and he went into the city of Terzett, and there he wedded the daughter of the King of Rasvelt, and the kingship of the land was reorganized as a high lordship in this new land of Eldia.

**Johann Fritz Inherits the Founder**

31 And in the thirteenth year of King Jacob Fritz's reign he went unto the Temple of the LORD in Siegfried, and there his brother Johann drank from his blood and became as a Pure Titan, and the body of the king was consumed. And thus King Johann Fritz received Our Lady's Founding Titan in accordance with the Law.

**King Johann Rules Over Eldia**

_**4**_ Now in the days of King Johann Fritz the people of Eldia knew peace and prosperity, for the many blessings claimed from the inheritance of Rasvelt into Eldia's dominion brought wealth and peace to the Subjects of Ymir as they had not known for a long count of years.

2 And the Wall of Sheena stood immovable upon the southern borders of Eldia, and in those days King Johann added to the length of the Wall with nine hundred and ninety Colossus Titans which stood upon the shores of the eastern seas, and so the Wall of Sheena turned like a hook against the foes of Eldia who looked north from their borders from the sea.

**Hans Fritz Inherits the Founder**

3 So was the rule of King Johann Fritz thirteen years, and in the thirteenth year of his reign in the Temple of the LORD his blood was given unto his brother Hans Fritz, and he was the third son of Sheena.

4 And becoming as a Pure Titan Hans consumed the body of the king, and thus King Hans Fritz received Our Lady's Founding Titan in accordance with the Law.

**Rebellion in Kiesel**

5 Now in the days of King Hans there was unrest in the city of Kiesel, and this was a city in the northernmost lands of Rasvelt.

6 And in Kiesel there were men who opposed the rule of Eldia over their people, and they wished to reclaim their land and cast out the Subjects of Ymir which now lived among them, and a man by the name of Holstein led them.

**The Massacre of Kiesel**

7 And Holstein said unto his followers, Let us gather the Subjects of Ymir which dwell now within our city and put them to the sword, and the people of Rasvelt shall inhabit the city of Kiesel alone and without those of that accursed race.

8 And so they went unto every house in the city with the sword and put to death every Subject of Ymir who dwelt therein. And the Subjects of Ymir could not withstand their assault, for none of their race was among the guard of the city which came against them, who held Holstein and his rebels in their favor.

**Judah Ackerman Seeks Lord Dane**

9 Now among the rebels there was a man named Judah of the family of Ackerman, and he and his kin refused to shed the blood of any Subject of Ymir in their desire for freedom.

10 For in the years before Rasvelt joined with the land of Eldia the family of Judah had intermingled with the Subjects of Ymir, and his kin shared in their blood, and this was not known among the rebels of Kiesel.

11 Now Judah's family desired to first approach Dane who was the Beast Titan in Terzett, and he would request new terms of sovereignty which Dane would relay to King Hans in Siegfried.

12 But Judah saw that a madness had overtaken Holstein, and he wished to lure the Beast Titan unto Kiesel and put him to the sword.

13 So when the slaughter in Kiesel had come to its end, Judah with his sons Henry and Marcus escaped the city in secret, and approaching Lord Dane they spoke of the tragedy which had happened in Kiesel, and Dane was moved to wrath.

14 And he went forth unto Kiesel and with his Beast threw down their walls with hurled stone, and the army of Terzett rushed into the city.

**Dane Sends Judah Away**

15 But Holstein foresaw their coming, and with all his followers they hid in the forests near to the city, for they knew no force of mere men could overthrow the Beast Titan by strength of arms.

16 And he sought to wait until Dane would leave the flesh of the Beast and walk as a man, and in that hour he would enter into the city in secret and put Dane to the sword, and in this Rasvelt would be robbed of its Titan.

17 But by the news of Judah Dane knew of their place of hiding, and he remained in the city and sent forth men of Terzett to watch the borders of the forest ensuring that no force would leave unseen.

18 And Dane sent a request unto King Hans for aid in this matter, and he said unto Judah, Go thou unto Siegfried, and take with thee any of thy family who like thee are loyal unto Eldia, for thou shalt be spared from the wrath which now comes upon thy neighbors.

19 And with his faithful kinsmen Judah and the family of Ackerman left the lands of Rasvelt forever.

**The Founder Comes to Kiesel**

_**5**_ Now as the Founding Titan the king came unto Kiesel with a host of five hundred Subjects of Ymir who in their faith desired to avenge their fallen kin by offering up their lives.

2 And the Founder Hans said, Go ye now around the forest of your enemies, and by my voice ye shall catch these traitors in a snare, and ye shall feast upon their flesh.

**The Traitors' Forest Burns**

3 And when all had gone unto their places the Founder cried out, and lo! the five hundred faithful became as Pure Titans, and they obeyed the voice of their Founder.

4 And as the five hundred stood around the forest of the traitors' hiding, the men of Terzett set fire to the forest, and those who were not burned were caught in the hands of the Titans which stood watch near to the edge of the forest.

5 And the smoke from the burning was seen for miles around, and in days after the Traitors' Forest stood as a hedge of blackened spires never to bear fruit again.

6 And when King Hans had returned to Siegfried he met with Judah who had come there with his family as bidden by Lord Dane.

**King Hans Speaks to the Ackermans**

7 And the King said unto the family of Ackerman, Ye sought to rid yourselves of the dominion of Eldia, and had ye continued in your actions ye would have been made to serve me in torment as Pure Titans.

8 For verily I see your blood upon the paths unseen, and ye are my Subjects even as those whom your neighbors put to the sword, and this thing ye did not prevent.

9 But verily ye have saved many lives of my Subjects through the news which ye had brought to my faithful, and for this I shall not put ye to torment.

**The Ackerman Family Blessed**

10 For behold, by my journeys on paths unseen I have discovered a new fate for ye who would have betrayed the land of my Subjects, but for the love of my Subjects ensured that Eldia would not be divided.

11 Therefore ye of the Ackerman family shall be no longer my Subjects, and your blood I remove from the paths which are walked by the Founder.

12 But lo! ye I place upon a new path, and just as the memory of my brothers and my mother and Our Lady dwells now within me, so shall the memory of your deeds endure throughout the generations unto the end of days, and so ye shall become a mighty family of great renown.

13 But as penance ye shall remain forever in service to the line of the Founders, and by your strength the land of Eldia shall be made whole and secure alongside the power of the Titans.

**The Ackermans Serve the Founder**

14 And in days after the Ackerman family dwelt always with the House of Fritz, and Judah Ackerman was made the first bodyguard of the King of Eldia standing ever watchful beside the throne of the Founding Titan.


	4. Chapter 4 - 2 Könige

(Originally published: May 16, 2019)

* * *

**Jealousy Among the Eldians**

_**1**_ Now in the latter days of King Hans the people of Eldia learned of the Ackerman family and the divine path upon which the Founder had set their kin.

2 And moreover there stirred in the hearts of the faithful a jealousy, for while the Founding Titan ruled over all of Eldia and the Beast Titan had lordship over Rasvelt, the seven whom remained shared the land of Gherma, and the lands of their houses were without border.

3 Therefore in those days many came unto King Hans bearing grievance against the ways of Eldia.

4 And they said unto him, O King, wherefore dost thou grant the LORD's blessings unto this kin, who were for a time traitors and would see thy lands sundered?

5 And the faithful said unto him, O King, wherefore dost thou grant such a lofty domain unto the Beast while we who have served thee well and faithfully are left with the small lands of our houses?

6 For our lands are without border under thy gracious eye, and oft is there strife between the faithful on matters of which tidings come to us from contested lands.

**King Hans Speaks to His Subjects**

7 And to the people of Eldia the king said, Why do ye desire this fate which the LORD hath created for the Ackerman family?

8 For they have been sundered from the unseen paths upon which walk all ye Subjects of Ymir, and theirs is a path which even I cannot see.

9 Verily, great is their strength and long are the lives of they who do not fall to the sword, but theirs is a life of everlasting service. Would ye so readily surrender the work of your fields and your craft and your writing?

10 Therefore I say unto ye, do not envy that which ye do not rightly understand.

11 For while ye see the strength of their blood, ye do not see the chains which bind them unto me and my house.

**King Hans Speaks to the Faithful**

12 And to the faithful inheritors the king said, Why do ye desire to shut yourselves away from your sisters and brothers of Ymir's blood?

13 Ye are the most faithful unto the LORD, and ye have not been wrongly chosen to inherit His blessings.

14 But ye are not kings as I, and though ye are the masters of your houses ye must answer unto me of all matters, and unto the LORD whom I serve.

15 The people of Rasvelt are good and faithful neighbors of Eldia, and they have graciously entered into the dominion of the Subjects of Ymir. But for so long as they are so young a land in Eldia they must be watched that their faith may be true.

16 And hearing these words the faithful departed from the House of Fritz, and some were content with the wisdom of their Founder.

17 But among some of them were sown seeds of doubt, for with their power they desired still to become as kings of their own.

**Borri Fritz Inherits the Founder**

18 And in the thirteenth year of King Hans's reign he went unto the Temple of the LORD in Siegfried, and there his blood was given unto Borri Fritz, and he was the firstborn son of Jacob Fritz.

19 And becoming as a Pure Titan Borri consumed the body of the king, and thus King Borri Fritz received Our Lady's Founding Titan in accordance with the Law.

**The Faithful are Divided**

_**2**_ Now when King Borri first ruled in Eldia the inheritance of the Attack Titan came unto a man named Ludwig, and the authority over the House of Muspel was given unto him.

2 And the envy of the faithful towards the House of Fritz dwelt still in some of their hearts, and they desired to become as kings of their own realms.

3 Therefore Lord Ludwig sent forth the people of his house unto the houses of the faithful in Gherma and unto the Beast Titan in Rasvelt.

4 And he said unto them, Go now and listen for bitter words and whispered counsels, for I would know who among the faithful desire still lordship over their own realms.

**Ludwig Learns of the Faithful's Envy**

5 And the House of Muspel went forth throughout all the lands of Eldia where dwelt the other seven houses, and for half a year they heard many words and saw many things which were good in Ludwig's eyes.

6 And after all was known the people of the House of Muspel returned into their lands.

7 And they said unto him, O Attacker of Our Lady, we have heard the things which are spoken among the houses of the faithful.

8 And verily there are those who alike to thee desire the freedom to rule as kings without a Founder, truly even as Founders themselves they desire to be.

9 And these faithful are Havor the War Hammer of the House of Svarta, and Brunhild the Female of the House of Midgard, and Klaus the Beast of the House of Vanir who has lordship in Rasvelt.

**Ludwig Declares Independence**

10 And Ludwig was well pleased by this, and he said unto his House, Go ye now unto the House of Svarta and the House of Midgard and the House of Vanir.

11 And say unto them, Ludwig the Attacker of the House of Muspel has heard thy sorrows, and verily he knows that thou desirest to rule thy house as a kingdom unto thyself.

12 For there are no free lands upon the earth where walk the Subjects of Ymir, verily even Rasvelt has has been added to the fruits of the Founding Titan's lordship over Eldia and is a free kingdom no longer.

13 Let us therefore unite our strength against the dominion of the Founding Titan, and we shall be no longer of Eldia, but there shall be nine kingdoms of the Subjects of Ymir, and we shall be free to rule how we wish.

14 And no longer shall we be servants to the Law of the Founder, but by our laws written of our own judgement shall we decide how best we shall serve the LORD.

**The Four Apostates**

15 And the House of Muspel went forth unto the houses of the Female and the Beast and the War Hammer, and they spoke the words which they were given by Ludwig, and they who were in days after known as the Apostates were well pleased.

16 And some among them thought to walk upon the unseen paths where the Founder roamed that they might make for themselves serving families as the Ackermans had been made.

17 But none among them could gain the mastery over the Subjects of Ymir as is the lordship of the Founder, but in their pursuits they learned well the ways of the unseen paths. And the mastery of the power which the LORD had gave them grew in those days.

**The Strife of the Apostates Begins**

18 Now when all of the Apostates learned of which faithful were among their count and which remained loyal to the Founding Titan they gathered in secret in the city of Terzett, and there they plotted how they may free their lands from the authority of Eldia.

19 And in their absences the lands of the faithful were governed by trusted lords of their houses.

20 And Ludwig thought it a great blessing that Havor the War Hammer shared in their desires, for the strength and craft of the War Hammer was a cunning boon.

21 And long did the Apostates take counsel together in the halls of Terzett, and there their thoughts of the liberation of Eldia became dark with greed.

22 For while the dominion of the houses of the faithful had no border in Eldia, still it was known where dwelt each house in the land, and the lands of the four Apostates were scattered and sundered by lands claimed by the houses of the loyal, and only the Houses of Vanir and Svarta dwelt in closeness with each other.

23 Therefore a thought grew in the minds of the Apostates to usurp the Titans of the loyal if they did not join to their cause willingly, and the usurped would pass their powers unto those most faithful in service to the Apostates, and after all conflict had ended would new borders and new kingships be arranged.

24 And Ludwig said unto his fellows, Send ye forth your servants into the lands of your houses, and tell they who would live under new kingships to journey hence to Rasvelt where their Titan lords have gathered, for here shall we make our first stand against the Founder and his loyal Subjects.

25 And by the power of the War Hammer we shall safeguard the northern borders of Rasvelt, for surely they shall send legions of men and of Titans against us when our apostasy has been made known. 26 But against the mighty defense which we shall make for ourselves none will have the strength to pass, save for the Colossus Titan for whom we must keep a sharp vigil.

**The Apostate Houses Divide**

_**3**_ And so after they had taken counsel the Apostates sent forth their servants to bring word to their houses of their devices, and the people of Eldia heard their tidings.

2 And many among them went willingly south into Rasvelt, being of greater faith to the masters of their houses than to the Founder who ruled them. But others cried out against their apostasy, and word was sent swiftly to Siegfried of the designs which would soon unfold in Rasvelt.

3 And many drew sword against his brother in those days, for they would not see their kin so easily abandon their Founder or the master of their house.

**Eldian Loyalists of Rasvelt Flee**

4 And while word was spreading of the designs of the Apostates Klaus went forth unto the people of Terzett and declared their land free from Eldia.

5 And great was the fear in the hearts of those who loved Eldia, for many among them knew of the power of the Titans only in stories or in the Beast Titan which walked alone in their lands.

6 And they knew that the wrath of the Founder would come swiftly against their land for the heresy of the Apostates.

7 And those loyal to Eldia fell to their knees and pleaded with the Beast that he might grant them leave to enter into Eldia. And at these words many desired to slay the loyal as deserters.

8 But Klaus said unto them, Do not harm them! In this apostasy we do not seek to become tyrants, but to free the people of Eldia from an authority which would swallow all the earth.

9 How can we speak of freedom while putting brother to the sword or closing the land up like a cage?

10 Let those who would swear their life to the Founder go hence from this land, and trouble them not.

11 And so it was that many in Rasvelt departed for Eldia before the coming wrath of the Founder would fall upon them.

**The Founder Rallies the Eldians**

12 Now as the loyal Subjects of Ymir in Rasvelt made their journey northward, word had reached King Borri in Siegfried of the apostasy of the faithful, and a great wrath was stirred within him.

13 And he said unto his court, Go ye forth with all haste unto the four faithful: Anna the Armor, Heimal the Colossus, Franke the Cart, and Norbur the Jaw who each remain in Eldia and bring them before me. For together I would hold council with them to arrange a punishment suited for these traitors to Our Lady and to the LORD.

14 And send forth riders swift unto Rasvelt and let them bring tidings unto me of the border of their land, for I would wish to know with what strength they think to shield themselves from the justice of the LORD.

15 And messengers and riders went forth from Siegfried, and each among them did as their Founder had commanded of them.

**The War Hammer Strengthens Rasvelt**

16 Now when those marching out of Eldia among the Apostate houses who followed still their Titan lords came near to Rasvelt they found it well guarded with a high wall.

17 For the War Hammer Titan had with clever craft raised a great wall to a height of thirty meters and a width of five meters, and those who stood upon the wall would be beyond the reach of even the loftiest of the Titans, save for the Colossus.

18 And all along the outer edge of the wall were raised great spikes of flesh like stone, and so any great host of Titans sent against Rasvelt would come against the wall with great difficulty, for the spikes reached forth for ten meters.

19 And great were the labors of the War Hammer Titan in raising the northern wall, and it would be called the Apostates' Wall, and for many days and many nights Havor lengthened the wall, and its length began in the southeast in Terzett, and along the northeast border of Rasvelt it continued even as far as Kiesel, and those who beheld it said it was a feat to rival the Wall of Sheena.

**Ludwig Prepares Rasvelt's Defense**

20 Now those who came near to the Apostates' Wall were guided to the city of Alfonid, and here there was a high gate through which ten men may walk abreast, and by this road those loyal to the Apostates left for ever the dominion of Eldia.

21 And when these folk had come in full into Rasvelt Ludwig made ready their defenses, and along the northern border of Rasvelt for many miles he sent riders to keep watch for the approach of the Founder.

22 And many men of Rasvelt swore sword and spear unto Ludwig, and they would do battle with the men of Eldia who would come against them who walked not as Titans.

23 And these men with their Titan lords lied in wait in Alfonid where stood the gate Apostates' Wall, and all were made ready to march at a moment's notice, for they knew not where the Founder would come against them.

**The Faithful's Council**

_**4**_ Now after a time the riders of King Borri returned unto Siegfried, and in this way the king learned of the span and defenses of the Apostates' Wall.

2 And there were riders which the king had sent forth who did not return, and the king took this to mean that their watch had been made known to the vigil of the Apostates, and they would surely see the coming of Eldia and be prepared.

3 And the king said unto the faithful, Great is the treachery of these Apostates against Eldia, and verily I shall not meet these betrayers in open war, nor send forth any man unto his death.

4 For these Apostates are but pups who think themselves to be wolves, and their folly shall be forever remembered in the annals of Eldia.

5 If by the power of the Titans my faithless seek to usurp me, by the power of the Titans alone shall their heresy be smothered.

6 Therefore let the Jaw Titan and the Cart Titan venture forth near unto Rasvelt, and ye shall seek out any riders of Rasvelt who keep watch for our coming.

7 And when the eyes of Rasvelt are dimmed the Armor and the Colossus and the Jaw shall journey unto the gate of Alfonid where the traitors lie in wait, and by the power of the Colossus shall the city be laid to waste, and the Armor shall tear down the gate of the Apostates.

8 And as ye bring justice unto these Apostates my Founder shall march forth upon Rasvelt, and with me shall go the Cart laden with the prisoners of Eldia whose fate is service as Pure Titans, and they shall be redeemed in the eyes of the LORD by delivering justice unto Rasvelt.

**The Faithful Journey to Rasvelt**

9 And the faithful went forth from Siegfried and did as their king had commanded.

10 Now the riders of Rasvelt rode always in a pair, for if one should fall the other may return to Alfonid and bring news to the Apostates.

11 But against the Cart Titan and the Jaw Titan few could withstand, and only three riders returned alone from the many who had been sent forth to keep watch upon the border.

12 And Ludwig was greatly displeased, for he could not send forth too many riders lest he be left with too few to defend against whatever army Eldia would send forth against them.

13 And for twenty days and twenty nights Norbur the Jaw and Franke the Cart clawed at the eyes of Rasvelt.

14 And in this task Lord Franke was especially cunning, for the Cart Titan could run upon the lands for many days and many nights without need for food or rest.

15 And at last there came a time when Anna the Armor and Heimal the Colossus and Norbur the Jaw rode forth in secret unto Alfonid.

16 And before the watch upon the Apostates' Wall could ask them their names and their business the Armored Titan appeared before them in a flash of light, and it stood half as high as their wall.

17 And with her might the Armor threw Lord Heimal clear over the Apostates' Wall, and long did he soar across the heavens until at last he clad himself in the flesh of the Colossus Titan in a tide of fire and thunder, and all the hosts of Rasvelt who were not slain in the flames fled before him.

18 And when the Armor had town down the high gate of the Apostates' Wall she and the Jaw Titan rushed into the city, and the Jaw slew their horses and any man who would ride forth from the city seeking aid upon them.

19 Now Havor the War Hammer was weary from his toil in the building of the Apostates' Wall, and he could not face against both the Colossus and the Armor and the Jaw even with his fellow Apostates without risk of death.

20 Therefore seeing the coming of the faithful he hid himself beneath the earth by his power, and with great effort he sealed the breach where the high gate had stood, but little more could be done with his strength.

21 And there was a great clashing in the city of Alfonid, where the Armor and the Jaw and the Colossus wrestled against the Beast and the Female and the Attacker, and their blows were as the crashing of boulders upon the mountainside.

22 And against the Colossus of Our Lady, four times as high in stature as its brothers and sisters in the LORD's power, could not be withstood. But its steps were slow and its strikes lofty, and the Apostates sought ever to escape its long reach and the rumbling of its mighty feet.

**The Titans of Sheena Awaken**

23 Now before the faithful had come unto the gates of Alfonid King Borri left the city of Siegfried with Franke the Cart, and the Cart was laden with men gagged and bound who had long slept in bondage for their sins against their Founder.

24 And in the flesh of Our Lady's Founding Titan the king and the Cart journeyed to the city of Heimr near the Wall of Sheena.

25 And looking upon the Wall the Founder let forth a mighty shout, and lo! at his command the flesh-like-stone fell upon the earth, and from Heimr and on westward the Colossus Titans in the hundreds stood naked under the sun.

26 And with another shout the Founder led the Titans of the Wall in a march upon the Apostates' Wall, and their march was felt in the rumbling of the earth even in Rasvelt before they came into sight of Alfonid.

**The Rumbling of Rasvelt**

_**5**_ And when the Apostates saw the coming of the Titans of Sheena over the hills to the east they fell to their knees pleading for mercy, and leaving their flesh of Titans they surrendered themselves unto the faithful, and they were taken in bondage.

2 And before the Titans of Sheena could come against the Apostates' Wall the faithful pulled Havor the War Hammer from the earth, and seeing his fellow Apostates in the grip of the faithful he knew verily they had come to the bitter end.

3 But the when their pleas fell upon the Founders ears he heard them not, and at his command the Titans of Sheena threw down all the Apostates' Wall at once as the coming tide topples a house of sand.

4 And as the people of Rasvelt fled from the rumbling of the Titans, the burdens of the Cart Titan were emptied, and with great strength the Founder threw the bound men as seeds over tilled earth.

5 And with the mighty shouts of the Founder the men became as Pure Titans even as they sailed through the airs, and in great crashes they fell upon the fleeing faithless, and many who would flee were consumed.

6 And the rumbling of the earth was felt in all of Rasvelt, and the Titans of Sheena marched through all the land flattening the earth and laying to waste the homes of those who had pledged their loyalty to the traitorous houses.

7 And there was great weeping and gnashing of teeth among the faithless, for they beheld now the power of the Founding Titan and knew their folly, and many welcomed death as escape to their shame.

8 And great fires went up into the skies in Rasvelt's ruin, and the smokes that went up into the heavens could be seen even in Siegfried beneath Mount Ginnun.

**The Titans Lay Down Their Lives**

9 And when the rumbling of Rasvelt was complete the Titans of Sheena had marched even unto the shores of the western sea north of Suden, and in Rasvelt a great scar cut the land in two in the wake of their passing.

10 And coming to the shores of the sea they did as their Founder had commanded and laid down their lives, and their spirits passed into the paths of the heavens in a great wall of cloud, and on the next day no part of their flesh remained.

**The Apostate Houses Divided**

11 And the faithful returned to Siegfried with the Apostates leaving behind ruined Rasvelt, and in the city of Siegfried the faithful met once more in council.

12 And it was decided that all those of the Apostate houses who did not remain faithful to their Founder seeking refuge in Eldia were to be made as Pure Titans, and under the command of their Founder they would rebuild the ruined Rasvelt along with those Titans had sown against the faithless and any man who yet lived in those lands.

13 And the four Apostates would surrender their Titans to new houses faithful to their Founder.

14 And thus Havor and Brunhild and Klaus and Ludwig were bound in the Temple of the LORD in Siegfried, and the faithful kept watch over them while the new houses journeyed into Siegfried.

**The New Faithful Houses**

15 And in the third year of King Borri's reign there came unto Siegfried new faithful, and they were Aryn of House Krieg, and Corbin of House Holden, and Dirk of House Frykt, and Nim of House Marmor.

16 And unto House Krieg was given the War Hammer, and unto House Holden was given the Beast Titan, and unto House Frykt was given the Attack Titan, and unto House Marmor was given the Female Titan.

**King Borri's Decree**

17 And when the Apostate houses were no more and all the faithful stood together beneath Mount Ginnun the King of Eldia went forth unto the people.

18 And the king said, Verily, these days of darkness and faithlessness have for ever stained the earth in blood, and long shall it be before all is made aright.

19 For the faithless sought to betray their Founder that they might rule their own lands and be as kings of their own.

20 Verily I say unto ye, not until the end of days shall Eldia be without the Founding Titan seated upon the throne of the land.

21 But verily I shall make certain that such strife shall not befall ye Subjects of Ymir again for sake of the land.

22 Therefore let these words be for ever remembered in the Law to which I now add: in those days when the lands of Eldia grow, the Founder shall set anew the borders of the lands which belong to the houses of the faithful, and no house shall have a portion greater than that of his brothers and sisters in the LORD.

23 And the keepers of the Law added the words of their Founder to the Law of Eldia, and the Subjects of Ymir were well pleased.

**King Borri Returns to Rasvelt**

24 And in days afterward King Borri journeyed once more into the land of Rasvelt in the flesh of the Founding Titan, and with him went the Pure Titans who had come from the houses of the Apostates, and for the remaining years of his reign he oversaw the rebuilding of the land of Rasvelt which had been laid low in the rumbling of the earth.

**Gregory Fritz Inherits the Founder**

25 And when King Borri's span of years came to their end his firstborn son Gregory Fritz made the journey into Rasvelt, for the king would not leave the land while there still remained ruin that had not been raised anew.

26 And in the land of Rasvelt Gregory drank from the blood of the king, and becoming as a Pure Titan he consumed the body of the king, and lo! the Founding Titan was born anew in King Gregory in accordance with the law.

**Rasvelt Rebuilt**

27 And for three years King Gregory remained in Rasvelt until at last all the cities of old and their farmlands and their pastures were settled anew, and a part of the faithful went with their houses into the land where they would dwell as King Borri had decreed before his passing.

28 And at the command of Gregory the Founder the Titans of the Apostate houses laid down their lives, and in pillars of cloud their spirits went up unto the paths of the heavens, and their faithlessness was forgiven in the eyes of the LORD.


	5. Chapter 5 - Friederich

(Originally published: April 19, 2020)

* * *

**Salutation **

_**1**_ Friederich Fritz, by the grace of the LORD the twelfth Founding Titan of the Eldian Empire, King of Gherma and Rasvelt, servant of Our Lady's everlasting will.

2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from the LORD and Our Lady Ymir Fritz, by whose words and deeds we have been made a free people.

**Misguided Faith Among the Eldians**

3 The voice of Eldia cries out unto the LORD in these days of strife and indecision, and verily I say unto ye my Subjects that your voices reach the ears of the LORD.

4 For in the land there are those who have turned away from the LORD in their folly. And these people offer up their prayer and offering not unto the LORD as is decreed in the word of the law, but they pray unto me and my forebears in their homes and in the streets and in the Temple of the LORD and in the palaces of Siegfried.

5 And seeing these people, the faithful of Eldia are led astray and doom themselves unto torment.

**Eldians Doubting God's Power**

6 For one man shall say unto his neighbor, What deeds hath the LORD done that are known to thine eyes? At what hour does the LORD speak into thine ear with counsel and command?

7 Verily it is the Founder of Our Lady whose works are made known in all earth, and it is the Founder whose voice moves his Subjects to serve the LORD.

8 And unto these unfaithful I say, From whence cometh the power of the Founding Titan to give command, and to build the roads, and to cultivate the barren wastes, and to raise the bridges which join the mountains?

9 Just as the child cannot walk upon the earth if the soul of the mother is not passed unto him, so too cannot the Founding Titan perform the works of the LORD without the strength of the LORD working through him.

10 The power of the LORD shall dwell always within the Founding Titan unto the end of days, but the Founding Titan is not the LORD made flesh to walk among man. For the Founder from forebear unto successor speaketh with one voice, but the voice of the LORD is a voice apart from the Founder.

**The Infallibility of the Founder**

_**2 **_Now there are those among ye who ponder on the works of the LORD through the Founder, for it hath been spoken unto ye that the power of the LORD is without fail and shall endure unto the end of days.

2 And at this ye say, If it is so that the LORD is without fail, yet the Founder whose power cometh from the LORD is not the LORD Himself, must then the Founder bear forth failings as any man?

3 And unto these people I say, Verily, before the Founder is passed unto a successor, a successor stands as no more than any man and shall bear all failings of man.

4 Yet when the power of the Founder is bestowed upon a man, the power of the LORD dwelleth for ever within him even as a man may dwelleth within his house.

5 And just as a man may go forth from his house into the city and return again, so too does the power of the Founder reach out unto the Subjects of Ymir, yet remaining for ever within the Founder to whence it returns.

6 And just as the power of the LORD is without fail, so too is the Founder without fail once the power of the Founder is bestowed within him.

**Disagreements On Matters of Prayer**

7 Now there are those among ye who know the power of the LORD dwelleth within the Founder for ever and is without fail.

8 And ye come before the Founding Titan in his palaces in Siegfried to offer up your prayers unto me as ye would pray in the Temple of the LORD with your offerings.

9 And some among ye wonder, Verily if the power of the LORD dwelleth within the Founding Titan and is without fail, wherefore should we go before the Founder with our prayers?

10 We must instead offer up our voices to the LORD alone in the Temple of the LORD and in our houses and in the streets of the city.

11 And there are those among ye of like mind who say otherwise, and ye say, Wherefore should we go unto the Temple of the LORD with our prayers and offerings? Verily the power of the LORD dwelleth in the Founding Titan.

12 Therefore we shall go unto the Founder and there offer up our voices that the LORD might hear us.

**The Decree of Prayer**

13 And to all such people of both minds I say, there are words which ye must speak before the LORD and words which ye must speak before your Founder.

14 Therefore I say unto ye, in matters of your spirit and your faith go unto the Temple of the LORD and there offer up your prayer and your offerings, and in this way the LORD shall see the faith of your spirits and be well pleased.

15 But in matters of disputes of the law ye must come before the Founding Titan in my palaces in Siegfried and speak there unto me of your grievances.

16 For while the LORD heareth all things in the land of Eldia, the LORD speaketh only unto His Founder, and his Founder must speak the word of law unto his Subjects and his most faithful.

17 So I say once again unto ye my Subjects, let your faith be heard in the ears of the LORD, and let your law be heard in the ears of your Founder.

**Grace Be with You**

18 My Subjects, be ye true of faith unto the LORD and unto your Founder, for by many paths and many ears the ears of the LORD hear all the voices of the Subjects of Ymir.

19 And ye of good faith shall not be forsaken by the Founder or the LORD.

20 The grace of our LORD and Our Lady Ymir Fritz be with ye for ever. Amen.


End file.
